About the project

We've considered the short and long term management strategy for Picton Water Recycling Plant and Picton Farm.

To service new connections and growth in the area, we’re upgrading the Picton Water Recycling Plant. After the initial site work, construction started in mid 2016. We expect to complete work in early 2019.

Upgrades to Picton Water Recycling Plant

The Picton Wastewater Scheme currently includes:

pipelines and pumping stations

Picton Water Recycling Plant, which is designed to treat an average of 2.7 million litres of dry weather wastewater flows a day

the use of high quality recycled water at Picton Farm to irrigate up to 119 hectares of crops

precautionary discharge of excess recycled water to Stonequarry Creek.

Picton Water Recycling Plant treats wastewater that’s been used in about 3,800 homes and businesses in Picton, Tahmoor, Thirlmere, Bargo and Buxton.

We're constructing extra facilities at the plant to treat up to four million litres of wastewater a day. This includes:

two additional intermittently decanted aerated lagoons (IDALs)

new inlet pipes and infrastructure to deliver wastewater flows to the existing and new IDALs

two additional sludge lagoons

a new chemical dosing unit (CDU) for pH correction

a new pipeline (about 275 metres long) to transport chemicals from the CDU to the Western Dam

a new odour control system

upgrades to electrical and monitoring control systems

improvements to site and road drainage.

All construction work will be contained within the property boundaries of Picton Water Recycling Plant and Picton Farm. There will be minimal impacts on the environment and local community during construction and commissioning of the new infrastructure.

We prepared an Environmental Assessment for the proposed upgrades, which was on public display from 10 December 2014 to 2 February 2015. During this time, the local community commented on the proposal.

We provided a report to the Department of Planning and Environment to respond to the submissions received during the exhibition period. The proposal was then approved in June 2015.

To learn more about the project, call our Community Relations Team on 1300 160 638.

Long term management strategy

A Community Reference Group has been put together to provide input to the long term management strategy for the increased volume of wastewater. The group includes local residents, businesses, Councils, industry and river users.

Some of the options being considered are:

using recycled water at farms and businesses, to irrigate sports fields, and for toilet flushing and garden irrigation at residential properties

transferring excess recycled water flows to other treatment plants like West Camden or Glenfield

installing wetlands

releasing surplus recycled water to Stonequarry Creek or the Nepean River.

Construction started in mid 2016. We expect to complete work in early 2019.